


Sunsets and Self-Love

by x0xll



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Female!Reader - Freeform, Praise Kink, plus sized!reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 08:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17845640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/x0xll/pseuds/x0xll
Summary: Reader is upset because someone in the camp made an off-handed comment about her appearance, Arthur helps her out.Tagged as Mature for NSFW themes but no smut.





	Sunsets and Self-Love

**Author's Note:**

> 2000 word commission for @moosyfate82 on Tumblr!  
> My commission page: http://marst-n.tumblr.com/commissions

You’re sulking, and it’s for good reason. All these years, struggling to feel good about yourself, only to have someone you’d be willing to call a friend make a poorly thought-out comment about your appearance. Now, you’re sitting on one of the coarse goat skins that litter the ground around the scout fire, pretending to be reading whichever book it was that you took from Hosea’s makeshift library on your way to gracious solitude. 

You can feel someone’s gaze digging a hole into your back, but you force yourself to keep your own eyes trained on the printed words of the book, despite how little you really care for what they say. Even as your hear footsteps nearing your spot but the isolated fire, you keep your head pointed downwards at the paper, refusing to react to the newcomer except to push a drop of water out of your eye with the hem of your sleeve. 

Arthur sits down next to you, looks over to you, and waits. You know that he’s looking for a response, but you don’t give him one. Instead, you turn a page to make it look like you’re busy, and keep silent.

“Oh, c’mon now, you haven’t moved that book since you sat down here.” He remarks, gesturing towards your hands. “Sat down, three hours ago.”

Had it really been that long? You dare a glance towards the sky, finding it a striking orange that signals the end of the day. With a huff, you close the book, not even bothering to read the golden words on the cover before tossing it onto the ground. “What do you want, Arthur?” 

He lifts his hands up, facing towards you like he was trying to soothe a spooked horse. “I just wanted to make sure you were doin’ alright-- Though I suppose I have my answer now.” He put his hands back down on his lap and tilts his head, just enough to show you he was listening. “What’s goin’ on with you?”

“It’s nothing.” You reply to his concerns shortly, almost aggressively, hoping he’ll give up and leave you to yourself. It’s not that you don’t want his company, you’re just nearly positive that he doesn’t actually want yours. He doesn’t give up, though. Instead, he scoots himself a bit closer to you and runs a hand across your back.

“Don’t be like that, darlin’.” His voice is a lot softer now, forcing you to lean closer to him in order to hear what he’s saying. “You know I love you, and I’m here to listen to ya.” 

You sigh, taking another glance towards the color-filled sky. It’s slowly turning a deep shade of red, turning the few clouds into wispy streaks of gold. “Alright, fine.” Your voice comes out shakily, but you keep speaking. “Mary-Beth made a comment about my looks earlier. I know she didn’t mean anything by it but that doesn’t mean it felt any better.”

Arthur cocks his eyebrow. “What about your looks? That they’re breathtaking?”

“Oh, now don’t you be acting like that.” You turn your head to glare at him. “You know what about my looks.”

Arthur pauses, thinking. He does know what you mean, and he’s torn between choosing to ignore your self-disgust and talking you through it. So, instead of speaking, he touches you. 

He lifts his hand up to your hair, running his fingers through it, bringing curtains of dark brown cascading down his arm. His other hand reaches up to cup your face, and he wipes away a small tear with his thumb. He pulls you closer to him -- to his face, presses a gentle kiss against your forehead. When his rough lips finally pull away from your skin, he smiles at you, and you can’t help but give him a small grin in return. Arthur chuckles softly, lets go of you, and stands up. 

“C’mere, I’ve got an idea.” 

You take the hand that he’s outstretched, letting him pull you onto your feet. He leads you, as silently as he can, through the woods that are bathed in the fire-red light of the sky. Deep in the green within the forests of New Hanover, Arthur sits down with such force that you nearly mistake it for falling, and he pulls you onto the ground with him. 

“Now, about those looks…” He says, running his hands over your sides, your hips. “I want to see all of them.”

With his guidance, your back falls against the soft grass, and he’s hunched over you with the warmest smile you’ve ever seen grace his lips. He winks at you, and it looks so physically uncomfortable for him that you can’t help but laugh at him as he positions himself between your legs, bent over your torso.

His rough hands push up under the hem of your shirt, fingertips dragging across the skin right above your belt. You shudder, propping yourself up on your elbows so you can keep an eye on him. His hands meet each other at the base of your spine, feeling every inch of your waist a second time as he brings them back across the same path. You pout, just a bit, when he takes his hands away from you, but your complaints are quickly done away with when he undoes the lowest button of your shirt, and then the second lowest, just enough to expose your navel. He dips his head down, pressing his lips against your soft stomach, and you let out a breathy sigh.

The simple touch isn’t arousing or anything, but your boyfriend’s tenderness -- especially on an area of such internal discontent -- is refreshing. You reach a hand towards him, tangle it lovingly in his hair as he opens a third button. He lifts his head up, just barely away from your skin, leaving a few quick kisses on stretch marks before he continues his move upward. His lips drag against your skin, and you shudder at the way his scruff of a beard tickles your stomach. A fourth button, and his lips find a place at the bottom of your ribcage, kissing along your sternum.His hands are gripping, softly but firmly, onto your sides, just above your hips where your stomach curves slightly inward. He’s so warm against you, surrounded in a maroon light that strengthens the contrast between your soft, pale skin and his rough farmer’s tan. 

He’s taking his time, for your sake, but the way his fingers rub against your body and the dip of his head against your curves gives him an air or impatience. He’s trying so hard to hold back, but with how close you are to him, he seems almost urgent in his efforts to continue -- so you let him. Your hand separates from his hair and you move it up to the last two buttons, removing them from their holes with quick precision before pushing your shirt off your shoulders. Arthur sits back up, taking a moment to just look at you. It’s almost and uncomfortably long amount of time, that he’s just sitting there, looking -- but then he speaks.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He sounds breathless, and locks eyes with you. “And you know that’s not just because of this -- though that’s certainly a bonus.” His calloused hands are running slowly along your sides, feeling every inch, every curve, every roll of your flesh. “It’s more because of this--” He kisses right at the corner of your eye. “And this--” Another soft kiss is pressed against the bridge of your nose. “And of course, these.” Finally, his lips land against yours, and you have to suck in air through your nose to keep him from stealing your breath away. 

You relish in the kiss for a bit, but push him away with a hand that somehow found its way to his chest. There’s appreciative, loving tears welling up in your eyes, and Arthur’s face fills with concern.

“Hey now-- What are you crying for?”

You laugh and shake your head. “I’m not crying, Arthur.” You’re smiling, ear to ear, electing to rest your forehead up against his as you close your eyes. “I’m just-- I’m so glad I have someone like you.” Another shakey laugh. “Ain’t never had someone like you before.”

He clicks his tongue, slightly shaking his head. “I can’t even bring myself to imagine why no one fell for you sooner.”

Your back is up against the grass again and Arthur, leaning over you, is backlit by the cool light of the moon that seems to have taken over the sky while you were distracted. His mouth is on you again, more feverishly, right in the middle of your chest. You sigh, lean your head back, run one hand through your hair while the other does everything it can to get a grip on Arthur, even as he’s eagerly leaving hickies on your chest -- marking you up like the star-filled sky peaking through the cover of the trees. Eventually, your hand finds the collar of his shirt, and you grip onto it for dear life as his hands cup your breasts. 

“Listen to all those pretty noises.” He mutters in between rough kisses and soft bites. “You know what a good girl you are.”

You just now notice that you’ve been gasping and moaning at his touch and his praise, and your face and shoulders turn red at this realization. He chuckles when he sees your blush, and you have to swat him away from your neck before he leaves a mark there, right where everyone could see it. You use a hand to guide his greedy mouth down, back over your breasts, your ribcage, you navel, right to where your stomach poked out over the hem of your jeans. He looks up at you with a wicked smile.

“Down here, huh?” His voice was low, almost a growl. “Darling girl’s getting a bit greedy.” 

You snort in short laughter, nearly making a remark about how he’s the one who’s been eating you alive. You keep your words choked down, though, worried that any sass will make him stop what he’s doing.

His hands leave your torso, leave trails across your back, coming to rest on your hips with his fingers gripping around your backside. You jump in surprise when he gives a quick nip to your inner thigh. The bite is soft, and over your pants, but it’s enough to give you a bit of a shock. Your hands are fists, trying to find purchase anywhere they can, trying to hold you steady as his mouth runs over your crotch. You moan, his lips press harder against you, and your thighs shake as he’s mouthing and kissing --

“Oh God, Arthur, I can’t do this out here right now.” You laugh, covering your red face with your hands. “We’re in the middle of the forest!” He sits up on his calves, nodding in reply.

“Yeah, I suppose it’d be best to do this in my tent, huh?” He asks, and you give him a smile that tells him you’re more than up for that. You push yourself up off the grass and retrieve your shirt that’s been crumpled up on the ground underneath you. 

“You know, I meant everything I said.” Arthur helps you button your shirt back up after you’ve slid it over your arms and onto your shoulders. “I love you, my dear, and you really are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.” He’s staring into your eyes, touching your hair, refusing to keep his hands to yourself unless you get after him for it.

“I know, Arthur.” You cup his cheeks with your hands, taking in how absolutely soft he looks in the moonlight. He helps you stand up, not letting go of you until you’ve regained your footing on the grass -- and he only lets go of you to reposition his hand on your face, using his new hold to pull you in for another kiss. 

“Let’s get you back to camp then, my darling, and I can show you what other bits of your body I love.”


End file.
